Battered
by Deathangel125
Summary: After a painful break-up with Heero, Duo needs some help getting back on his feet and feeling safe.  Will Trowa be able to help?  1x2, 3x2
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: It goes without saying that the G-boys don't belong to me, though I so wish that they did. They all belong to a slew of other people with a lot more money and intelligence than myself.

Pairings: As always, 3x2 and past 1x2, along with a smattering of 4x5 tossed in just for fun.

Warnings: Yaoi, meaning man on man action, though it's nothing explicit. A bit of lime to keep things interesting.

AN: If you enjoy it, or hate it, or have ideas that I can use, drop me a line or a comment. I'm always thrilled to hear from anyone that takes the time to read what I've thought up in my twisted little mind.

CRACK

The force of the blow knocked Duo sideways several feet. Wiping the blood off his now split lip he raised his head and narrowed his eyes at the man that had just struck him…again. Shoving away the pain that was both emotional and physical, he spit blood onto the floor – a floor he had cleaned for almost an hour to make sure it was spotless, as per his partner's instructions.

Horrified cobalt blue eyes stared at him, wide with shock for a moment before narrowing in anger, "Why the hell do you have to do stuff like this all the time?"

"Stuff like what?" demanded Duo, reaching over to grab a towel off the counter to staunch the blood still flowing from his mouth. "I haven't done anything wrong, and you damn well know it. Stop blaming me for your temper." His heart hurting more than he would have assumed possible, he took a second to glance at the blood on the white cloth.

"You were flirting with him right in front of me!"

With an amazing amount of calm, Duo sighed and tossed the towel back onto the counter. He didn't want to fight, but knew that unless something drastic was done that that was exactly what was going to happen, and knowing that he wouldn't win. Remembering the resolve he had made to himself the last time Heero had hit him, he began to walk into the bedroom that they had shared for the last two years and pulled a bag out of the closet.

When his lover appeared in the doorway, he spoke in a low voice, not wanting Heero to see how badly this was hurting him. "I wasn't flirting, Heero. I was simply asking him how his car was running. He was a customer at the shop a few weeks ago, and I remembered the car."

Everything was quiet for a moment, but he didn't allow himself to believe that the conversation was at an end. He would try to explain, but he was aware that in Heero's eyes and mind, he had done something wrong, so he held no real hope that he would be able to leave before there was at least one more reminder of the turbulent relationship that they had shared.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the slightest bit surprised that when Heero finally did speak, it was with barely controlled rage coloring his tone, "You didn't have to talk to him for so long about a fucking car, Duo. What were you really talking about?"

"Like I said, I was asking him how the car was running. He was just telling me that it was running better than it ever has, and that he had recommended me to some of his friends if they ever had problems with their own rides." Risking a glance, Duo sighed when he saw the anger that was still lurking in the blue eyes aimed at him. "You know what, Heero? You go ahead and think whatever you want to. I'm not lying about what was said, and I really don't give a damn anymore if you believe me or not. I'm done with all of this."

"What the hell are you talking about? Done with what?" Heero's eyes finally left Duo and landed on the bag in the middle of the bed, already half full of clothes. "Where exactly do you think you're going? Do you think you'll get away from me if you go to one of your boyfriends? Do you think they can keep you from me? You're mine, Duo, and you'll never get away from me."

Not even bothering to give a response to the threat, Duo continued to pack the few clothes he had, then grabbed the bag and went into the bathroom. As he went from room to room, Heero was a silent but menacing presence just behind him, watching his every move closely. It wasn't until he had stuffed all his things into the bag that Heero spoke again, his tone completely baffled. "You're really leaving, aren't you?"

Zipping the bag closed, Duo carried it in one hand as he gathered the keys for his motorcycle and car, not trusting Heero to leave the bag alone after figuring out that he had every intention of leaving…this time for good. Pocketing the keys, he strode past Heero to the door, turning once he had the knob in his hand. "Yeah, Heero. I'm really leaving. And I'm not coming back again. I've had enough of this shit."

Hearing the growl of rage, he barely had time to brace himself before the first blow landed. He barely had time to wonder about the insanity he saw in Heero's eyes before he hit the floor.

On the first ring, Trowa grabbed the phone with one hand, keeping one hand on the steering wheel and both eyes on the thick traffic that he was attempting to navigate his way through. "Barton," he said distractedly, more concerned with idiot drivers than with a phone call that was most likely nothing of importance.

"Tro-wa." The voice was distorted by the noise outside Trowa's open window and soft, making him strain to hear it.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Trowa, it's Duo."

"Duo, I can barely hear you. How have you been?"

Hearing the bitter laugh, Trowa braced himself. He knew that Duo and Heero's relationship had been in trouble for some time, and had many suspicions about what happened between them when they were alone and away from prying eyes. There had been many times where he had wanted to offer another choice, a chance to get away from the dominating man Duo lived with, but he had assumed that Duo wanted to be with Heero, no matter what was happening. "Can you come and get me, man?"

Everyone was aware that Duo was a vehicle buff and not only had his car, a mint condition corvette from the days before colonies had even been thought of, but also had two motorcycles and two other cars that he was in the process of restoring, as well as a truck. For the long-haired man to have to ask for a ride meant something far worse than a break-down – something Trowa felt in his gut. Wondering what had happened, he asked the only question of importance at the moment. "Where are you?"

"Parking garage of Heero's apartment. I can't drive," there was a gasp, sounding too much like it was pained for Trowa to ignore.

"Your car and motorcycle?" he knew that one of the bikes was currently at Duo's shop, waiting for a new clutch, but the other vehicles should have been there for Duo's use.

"I can't drive." The words were halting and strained, causing Trowa to worry even more. "Hurry," was the last thing that he heard before the line went dead.

Knowing he should pull over to make the calls he needed to make but not wanting to take any longer than necessary, he quickly speed-dialed Quatre's number, hoping to find both him and Wufei there, as they usually were this late in the day, preparing to eat dinner. Keeping his eyes on the road, he waited for the phone to be answered on the other end, wincing when Quatre's voice suddenly came over the line in the middle of a laugh.

Needing his attention as fast as possible, Trowa spoke before the other man was able, "Quatre, I need your help. Is Wufei with you?"

There was only a momentary pause, but when Quatre spoke his voice was completely serious, lacking the mirth he had answered the phone with. "We're both here. What do you need?"

"I need both of you to meet me in the garage of Heero's apartment. I don't know what's going on, but Duo called and said he needed a ride. It doesn't sound like he's in any shape to drive."

A sharp intake of breath met his words. He could hear murmuring in the background, then Quatre came back on, "We'll bring the truck so we can load Duo's bike if we need to. Wufei can drive his car back here or to your house, whatever you want done. Where are you?"

"I should be there in about ten minutes from here. Traffic," he added tersely.

"We'll meet you there. Wufei's going to drive," the blonde informed him. Wufei had often been teased by his crazy driving, but there was no doubt that the black-haired man was fast.

At any other time, Trowa would have found the comment amusing but right now he was too worried to give it much thought other than to acknowledge that they would get there faster Wufei driving. Closing the phone to disconnect the call, he tossed it into the passenger seat and focused all of his attention on finding a way through the mass of cars that was keeping him from his intended destination.

It took half the time he had estimated to get to the parking garage below where Heero and Duo resided. Without thinking about it, Trowa immediately went to where Duo usually parked and got out of his car, searching with his eyes and listening for anything that sounded out of place. He found what he was looking for in the form of a whimper coming from between Duo's car and his working motorcycle.

There was no hesitation as Trowa rushed into the small space, already suspecting what he might find and dreading it more than anything in his entire life. Even though he thought he was prepared for what he might see, when he finally laid eyes on Duo he felt his heart stop for a brief moment before speeding up to twice its usual rate.

Duo lay on the hard pavement, his face badly battered and blood dried on his mouth and under his nose. There were several small cuts visible, and from the way the long-haired man was holding onto his ribs there was most likely more damage under the loose black clothing. When Trowa crouched beside the other man, one swollen eye cracked open. As he was recognized, Trowa could see the tense muscles in Duo's body relax.

"Duo, what happened?" he asked, touching the beaten man gently on the side while looking around for any danger. He saw no one, but there was a bag that appeared to be stuffed with various articles a few feet from Duo's hand.

"I left," gasped the American, coughing weakly. "Heero wasn't too happy about it."

"Christ, Duo, why didn't you call me sooner?"

"Couldn't. Heero caught me 'fore I got out the door." When Trowa picked up the other man, Duo hissed through his teeth. "He's gonna be pissed when he finds me with you, Tro. If you'll just drop me at a hotel or somethin' I'll be fine."

"Like hell. We're taking you to the damn hospital, Duo."

"No hospital, Trowa."

"Duo…"

"No hospital. Please."

Looking down at the man in his arms, Trowa could see the anguish on Duo's features. Not willing to argue with the man, he nodded, "No hospital for now, then. You'll go home with me. If I think you need to be seen after we get you there, we'll call Sally. That's non-negotiable, Duo."

"I don't want to cause you any problems. Heero will come after me."

"Don't worry about it. I can handle Heero." There was a small frown between Duo's eyes that Trowa suspected was not from the pain. "I promise I'll take care of you."

The frown faded until it was almost gone, and seconds later Duo went lax in his arms. Trowa was making his way out from between the vehicles when he heard the screech of tires being locked down on the paved surface. He raised an eyebrow as Wufei and Quatre emerged from the truck, but didn't stop until he had Duo safely ensconced in the back seat of his own car. When a pillow and light blanket appeared by his head, he didn't hesitate to take and make use of them.

After he had gently closed the door, he turned to the other two men, not surprised to see their expressions of horror. Quatre had tears running down his face and even Wufei appeared to be stunned by the amount of violence that had been visited upon the long-haired man. "Heero did this?"

Nodding at Wufei's soft query, Trowa swallowed hard to get past the lump in his throat. "He said that he didn't get out before Heero managed to get to him. He said that he was leaving and Heero wasn't too happy about it. There's a bag back there," he gestured to where he had first found Duo. "I think his things are in it."

"What are you going to do?"

"Take him home."

"But Trowa, he needs a doctor," asserted Quatre, worried blue eyes focused on the unconscious form in the car.

The hand that was placed on Quatre's shoulder stopped any other concerns before they could become an issue. Wufei's eyes were sad but understanding as he told Trowa, "I'll call Sally and let her know that she needs to see Duo tomorrow, as long as you promise to call her tonight if you need her sooner." To Quatre, he explained gently, "Putting Duo somewhere like a hospital would only make things worse. He won't be trustful of anyone, especially those that he doesn't know. With one of us is the best place for him."

Trowa watched as understanding filled Quatre's face. The blonde finally turned worried eyes to him. "You want him with you, right?" Slightly startled by the observation, Trowa nodded, unsure of what his friends would think. Quatre said nothing about it though, instead turning his attention to Duo's vehicles. "We'll keep these at our house for the time being. You know that you'll have to stay with him for a few days. Heero will be looking for him. The first time he gets a chance he'll grab Duo and punish him for leaving."

Abruptly filled with rage, Trowa growled, "If Duo wasn't so hurt I would welcome that bastard at my house. Don't worry. He won't get through me." From the looks he got, he knew that the other two men felt the same way. "I'll call you later and let you guys know what's going on. I'll take care of him. And thanks for getting here so fast."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Wufei regarded him with serious eyes. "Duo may not be important to us the same way he is to you, but he's still one of our good friends. Call if you need anything. We'll come by tomorrow and bring his things. I trust you have something he can use until then?"

"My clothes will be a bit big on him, but we'll be okay."

Since there was nothing else to say, Trowa got in the car after checking on Duo one last time. The bruising had gotten worse; almost all of Duo's face was covered by a myriad of colors now, both eyes swollen. Driving away, he looked in the rear mirror and saw Wufei and Quatre loading one of the beloved motorcycles into the back of Wufei's truck and found it astoundingly sad that the bike was handled with more care than Duo had been.


	2. Chapter 2

See first part for warnings.

Fighting his way out of a nightmare, Duo bit down on his lip in order not to cry out. He knew from experience that Heero hated it when he was woke up during the night, and he wasn't willing to pay the price for waking his partner. Slowly, he forced his eyes open, wincing when he realized how swollen they were and wondering what had happened this time.

Realizing that he couldn't see made him panic, and a soft sound escaped his throat. Freezing in place, he waited for the anger from Heero. After a full second, he shifted painfully, taking stock of all the aches and sores that covered his body. It wasn't until he moved that he became suddenly aware that he was dressed in soft pants, which was strange because Heero insisted that he sleep nude.

He was gathering the strength to sit up when he heard a soft noise in the room. His entire body tensed on its own, not requiring any thought to protecting itself. When the side of the bed dipped, he heard the noise he made, one of a trapped and terrified animal.

"You're all right, Duo. It's just me."

"Trowa?" he asked, then cursed himself for the slip. He had done the same thing once before, thinking that he had heard Trowa's voice in his sleep. It had been a mistake that had cost him dearly.

Since he was bracing himself for the hit that he knew would be coming, when a hand touched him gently he gasped. "Sorry. I just wanted to let you know where I was. Let me take this off," there was a pause as something was lifted off his eyes.

The room was dim but not dark, the only light coming from a lamp on the other side of the space. His face must have registered the surprise he was feeling, for Trowa leaned back and gave him plenty of space. "What happened?" he asked in a raspy voice, trying to figure out why he was here with Trowa instead of his own home.

"You called me to come and get you after Heero beat the shit out of you for leaving," stated Trowa bluntly, though he kept his voice soft.

Duo started at the calm words, then winced as he began to remember the events that had led to him stumbling down the stairs, clutching the bag that held his belongings to his chest and hoping that he would be able to make it somewhere safe before collapsing. "Shit."

"You remember now?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. I'm sorry I got you involved in this, Trowa. I'll leave first thing tomorrow."

"You'll do no such thing." To soften the words, Trowa smiled, "It's been a while since we got to spend any time together. I've missed you…missed getting to talk to you."

Duo didn't want to tell Trowa that he had missed him, too. The only reason he had stopped hanging out with the tall man was because of Heero's jealousy. Jealousy that was, for once, justified. When a thought went through his mind, he frowned, making a small sound when he felt the cuts on his lips pull painfully, "How did you know Heero had done this?"

Emerald green eyes met his, showing much more kindness and caring than Heero's ever had that Duo felt momentarily breathless. "You told me when I came to get you, but I've known for a while that things weren't really…right between you. I just wish I had had the guts to say something before now. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if I had said something."

Emotions filled Duo, all of them just as painful as his physical wounds. Embarassment, anger…shame. "It wouldn't have done any good, Trowa, and I think you know that. I had to be ready to leave. I had to admit that nothing I did would ever be good enough for him. I had to know that there was nothing else I could do to try and salvage what we used to have."

After a moment where he thought Trowa would turn away, the other man asked softly, "And when did you make the decision to leave?"

Not wanting to talk about it but knowing he owed this man above all others the truth, Duo averted his eyes, "Two weeks ago he hit me so hard that I blacked out. I hadn't really done anything wrong…not really," he repeated, trying to convince himself more than Trowa. "When I woke up, I was in bed and he was saying that he was sorry and it wouldn't happen again. Of course, he'd said that before, lots of times. That time, instead of believing him, I decided that the next time he hurt me I would leave."

"What happened today, Duo?"

"I saw a guy while we were at the grocery store, one whose car I had fixed a few weeks ago. The only reason I even remembered him was because he had a car like mine, an old corvette that he had gotten fixed and was having problems that no one could fix. He was so impressed by the job that I did he recommended me to a few of his friends that are into classic cars. I've worked on two of them already." Duo sighed tiredly, "We were only talking about the car, but Heero was convinced that I was flirting. When we got home, he started to yell then he hit me, telling me it was my fault. He didn't consider I would leave until I got to the door, and that's when he really got mad at me."

Feeling Trowa's thumb wiping his face, he blinked, only then realizing that he was crying and Trowa was gently removing the tears. Taking a chance, he met Trowa's eyes and didn't see disgust, but sympathy. "It wasn't your fault, Duo. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I know."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Duo. It was never you. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Mildly confused, Duo nodded though the movement was painful. "Yeah, I get it."

Hands, large and calloused, gently framed his face and Trowa looked at him intently, not letting him look away. "Duo, it's not your fault. It was never your fault."

With his breath starting to hitch in his chest, he forced himself to nod, "Yeah."

"Duo. It's not your fault."

Face to face with a compassion and gentleness he had never known in his life, Duo felt something inside of him break, allowing the dam that had held back his tears to come crashing down. There was no thought of objecting when Trowa lay down beside him and pulled him close, holding him as he sobbed out all the pain and confusion he had felt since the first time Heero had hit him.

There was no sense of how much time had passed when he finally stopped crying. He knew he was a mess, and that he had cried all over Trowa, probably getting snot all over him in the process, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. For the first time in a long while, he felt safe, and knew it had more to do with the man holding him than he wanted to admit.

Too exhausted to sort out his emotions, he let himself simply enjoy the sensation of strong arms holding him close and hands rubbing softly up and down his back, careful of any of the wounds that had been caused by Heero's rage.

Overwhelmed by everything that had happened to him that day, he let himself relax. Just moments before sleep dragged him under, he managed to push words out of his tortured throat, "Please don't leave me, Trowa." He didn't even know what he was asking for, but he knew it was important.

"I promise you that I'm not going anywhere, Duo. I'll always be right here for you, just like I always have been."

Too tired to comprehend the meaning of the words, Duo let the darkness that was pushing at him pull him under, hoping that Trowa wouldn't lie to him like Heero had.

For a long time after Duo went to sleep, Trowa continued to rub his back, wondering how long he would be able to stay near the other man. Not necessarily the way they were right now, which he wouldn't complain about, but in general.

He had never denied his own feelings to himself, and he had assumed he had kept them hidden. It was peculiar to realize that Wufei and Quatre had been aware of how he felt and had never said anything about it. For a long time he had been aware that he was in love with the long-haired man, but had thought it best to stay quiet about his feelings. Perhaps if he hadn't, Duo wouldn't have been hurt so badly while trying to make things work with Heero.

When the phone, set to vibrate, began to shake, he grabbed it quickly. After checking the caller ID –it wouldn't be good to take a call from Heero while holding his absent lover – he answered and kept his voice low. "Hi, Quatre."

"How did you know it was me?"

"Because Wufei would have waited for me to call. You aren't that patient."

There was a moment of silence before Quatre huffed softly, "I can be patient," he finally said.

"Not when it comes to your friends, though."

"I guess you're right. How is he?"

"Sleeping right now. He's pretty hurt, but as far as I can tell, there's nothing internal. I'll feel better after Sally has a look at him."

"Ho-How bad is he, Trowa, really?"

Hearing the wealth of worry in the other man's voice, Trowa sighed. "Is Wufei with you?"

"He's right here. Why?"

Not wanting to explain that Quatre was going to need his lover's support after he heard the damage that had been done to Duo, he merely said, "Put the phone on speaker so I only have to say all of this once. I have to do this quietly, because I'm… in the room with Duo."

After a slight hesitation, he heard Wufei say, "We're both here now, Trowa. Go ahead."

From the tone, Wufei realized that whatever Trowa had to say was going to be bad. In the future he would have to remind himself that the Chinese man was much more observant than he had believed before. "You saw his face, so you know about that. Two black eyes, busted mouth. The inside of his mouth was practically shredded from where his had teeth scrape over his gums. His nose was hit so hard that it's a miracle it didn't break." Closing his eyes he recalled the extensive damage he had discovered during his examination. Now, as then, he forced down bile and continued, "His left shoulder and two of his fingers were dislocated. I did manage to fix that. He has bruising on his upper body, along with several cuts. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Heero was wearing a ring of some sort when he hit Duo from the marks on him. His ankle and wrist are both sprained, and I have bandaged both of them so Duo won't be able to move them very well for some time."

Hearing the soft sobbing, he took a breath. "From the marks on Duo's body, this has been going on for much longer than I thought. Some of the scars were beginning to fade."

There was a long silence. When Wufei finally spoke, his voice was filled with an anger that Trowa felt. "If Yuy even thinks about going near Duo again, I'll kill him with my bare hands." Muffled speaking led Trowa to think that the other man was soothing his lover. "Let me tell you what we found. Everything that Duo had - all of his clothes and papers - were in shreds. It appears that Yuy systematically tore up everything that Duo owned before shoving it all back in the bag for him to take. I don't think he really believed that Duo would make it anywhere to get help."

"You think he assumed that Duo would die before he got some help?" Trowa wasn't as aghast at the suggestion as he should have been, having had the same thought himself.

"No. I actually think he figured that Duo would be attacked while trying to find help. From the sound of it, Duo wouldn't have been able to get far, and there was no way in hell he could have defended himself if he had been attacked. If Duo had died, Heero could have blamed it on the fact that he had left and absolved himself of any wrongdoing."

"You've been reading up on abuse, haven't you, Wufei?"

"Just like you have been, I believe. Trying to find a way to get a friend out of trouble." Trowa heard more murmuring and assumed that Quatre was still listening to the conversation, even though it was undoubtedly causing him unbearable pain. "What made Duo decide to leave?"

"It's a long story, Wufei. One that I think needs to wait for another day," he added as Duo shifted against him. He took a deep breath when Duo's unharmed hand skimmed down his body, sending tingles of awareness through him. To distract himself, he asked, "Do you know of anything in the last two weeks that would have made Heero angry?"

"Not that I know of, but you know it could have been something that was in Yuy's mind."

Remembering the way Duo had acted when speaking of the incident, Trowa shook his head slowly, "It could be, but I don't think so. I think there was something tangible that Duo was aware of doing at the time. I guess we may never know, unless one of you were following Duo?" he asked, only halfway joking.

"If whatever it is happened while he was working, I wouldn't have known about it," Wufei said slowly, confirming Trowa's belief that someone had been following Duo for some time. "A private investigator, hoping to find some proof of what we thought was happening. I had hoped to be able to confront Yuy with something, or to have some leverage to get Duo safely away."

"Wait," Quatre's soft voice broke into the conversation. "We had that dinner party two weeks ago, didn't we, Wufei?"

"We did. Could that have anything to do with what you're talking about, Trowa?"

The night came back to Trowa immediately, mainly because he had had a chance to speak with Duo for some time without being interrupted by Heero. Heero had been distracted by Relena's presence when she had drug him away to talk about the security for her next conference. Trowa had been thrilled when he had been able to remain by Duo's side for over an hour, that pleasure compounded when the long-haired man had kept his attention on Trowa alone. He could also easily recall the anger that had appeared on Heero's face when he and Relena had come back into the room and found Trowa and Duo in the corner of the room with their heads together, talking softly.

"Oh, shit. I think I might have been the cause of whatever happened. The night of the party I talked to Duo that night while Heero was occupied with Relena."

"He wasn't happy about that at all," came a sleepy voice from beside him.

Turning his head, he found exhausted violet eyes regarding him seriously. "I'll call you guys back in the morning, okay?" Trowa hung up the phone without waiting for a reply, knowing that neither of the men would be upset by it. "I didn't mean to wake you," he said softly, resuming rubbing Duo's back without conscious thought. He did, however, notice when the slim body beside him arched into him just a little, his breath stuttering. "You should be sleeping," he added, mentally cursing his voice for being husky.

Either Duo didn't notice or chose to ignore the obvious breathlessness, giving him a weak and tired smile. "To tell you the truth, I'm completely exhausted, but I'm hungry. I didn't get a chance to eat today."

Knowing Duo well, Trowa was aware that the man rarely, if ever, missed meals if he had a choice about it. Duo had to eat often to keep up with his high metabolism. During the war, he could often be found eating a protein bar during the middle of a long battle to keep up his strength. "Why didn't you eat breakfast or lunch? I can understand you missing dinner, but the other two?"

Moving slowly, Duo tucked his head under Trowa's chin, effectively hiding his face. "The apartment wasn't clean enough. I was trying to avoid making him mad, so I cleaned until we went to the store."

It was difficult for Trowa to keep from tensing, but he managed to refrain. He didn't want to do anything that would scare Duo, terrified that the long-haired man would be afraid of men in general after his ordeal. "Is there anything that you prefer?"

"Is there…is there any way I could have a cheeseburger? I haven't had one in a really long time," Duo nearly whispered the request, but the explanation was even softer. "Heero didn't think it was a good thing for me to eat because it wasn't healthy."

Making an effort to keep his tone even, Trowa asked, "What do you want on it? I should have anything you would like, and I some fries to go with it." Unable to resist the temptation with Duo so close, he tilted his head down and placed a soft kiss on the top of Duo's head, breathing in the aroma of the other man's hair.

He felt Duo go very still and mentally slapped himself. Now was definitely not the time to indulge in his long held fantasies. Quickly, he released the slim man and rolled off the bed to search in the dresser. "None of your clothes are here, and my clothes are going to be a little big, but at least you'll have something on. If you need any help just call me. You know where the bathroom is."

"Do I have enough time to take a shower?"

From the doorway, Trowa kept his back turned while he nodded. "Take all the time you need, Duo, and call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I promise, Trowa. I'll call you."


	3. Chapter 3

See first part for warnings.

Duo stared at the door long after Trowa had disappeared from sight. He didn't think he had imagined the press of Trowa's lips to his hair, or the gentle quality of his hands on Duo's back. The main problem was that he had no idea what to do about it. Oh, he knew the reaction that Trowa being nearby had on his body – that was something that had been happening for longer than he wanted to remember.

How could Trowa possibly be attracted to him in any way? He knew that he was a mess, could tell by the way his body felt that this was the worst that Heero had ever beaten him before. Trowa probably just felt sorry for him for allowing someone to use him as a punching bag and now felt responsible for him.

Deciding that had to be the case, Duo shoved his own confused emotions aside, promising that he wouldn't be a burden to Trowa while he was recovering. It would take some time to get back on his feet, literally and figuratively, but in his heart he had known that he would leave Heero at some point and had taken steps to prepare for such an occurrence, so the situation wasn't as bad as it could have been.

It was true that he hadn't thought about needing help from his friends, but he had to admit that he needed not only the support that he knew he would get from Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei, but the protection they could give him as well. It wouldn't take Heero long to decide that he was sorry, and as soon as that happened he would start calling all of their friends and acquaintances to see where Duo had gone.

There was no doubt in Duo's mind that Heero could and would force him to go back to the apartment if he had a chance, but he could count on Trowa to keep the dark-haired man far away, no matter what it took. The thought made him feel weak, but he needed time before he had to face Heero and not be terrified - not only of the anger, but also of the madness he had glimpsed in the cobalt eyes.

Getting out of the bed proved to be much more difficult than he had assumed it would, and took him much longer than it should have. Finally sitting on the edge of the bed with his body quaking from pain and fatigue, he took stock of the various injuries. While he was grateful that Trowa had taken care of him, it was also humiliating.

The idea that Trowa's hands had been all over his body caused him to feel all sorts of things, none of which he wanted to think about while trying to convince himself that he and Trowa were just friends. After all, if Trowa had been attracted to him in some way, wouldn't he have tried to take advantage of the situation in some way? Duo had been unable to stop him from doing anything, yet Trowa had done nothing but kiss his head, much like an older sibling would do.

Making his way to the bathroom, Duo had to fight a bit with his right leg and the bandage that kept him from shifting his wrist too much. He managed to relieve himself with some difficulty, frowning at the tinge of red in his urine that spoke of internal bruising. He was proud of his progress until he realized that not only had he forgotten the clothes that Trowa had laid out for him, but that there was no way he was going to be able to wash his hair in the condition that he was in.

He debated for several minutes, pride warring with his need to be clean. He could still feel blood on him, even though it wasn't visible. Swallowing his pride, something much harder now than it would have been two years before, he sat down on the lid of the toilet and called Trowa's name.

When the tall man appeared in the door, it was with a grim expression. His shirt had already been discarded somewhere in the house, and Duo could only stare for several seconds at the bare chest. It took him a moment to force his eyes to Trowa's face, blinking at the flare he saw for just a second in the green eyes before it disappeared. "I need some help," he whispered, lowering his head in embarrassment.

There was no hesitation as Trowa crossed the tiled floor and crouched down in front of him. "This is nothing to worry about. I didn't know if you would be able to do this on your own. I was waiting for you to call me."

Duo sighed. There was nothing else he could do for now. When he didn't speak, Trowa gave him another option. "I could always stay in here but let you shower on your own. That way I can be here if you need me."

Once again, pride nearly overrode common sense. After giving it some serious thought, Duo shook his head, "It wouldn't work. I can barely stand without having to hold myself up with at least one hand and I need both to wash my hair. I really, really need to feel clean, Trowa."

As he had expected, Trowa nodded and stood, apparently understanding his desire to wash the day away. "Can you get undressed by yourself? I'll go get your clothes while you get into the shower, and then join you in a minute."

"That would be…good," he agreed.

When Trowa left the room, he pulled off the soft pants as fast as he could and carefully got into the shower. It took him several long seconds to get the water going since it made him dizzy to bend over. More than once he feared that Trowa would come back before he was ready, but it was only when he was standing under the hot spray that he heard noise in the room beyond the curtain.

"If you want me to wait a few more minutes, I can."

The low voice added to the steam that had started to fill the stall made Duo's mind go somewhere it had no business going. Cursing his physical and mental weakness, he swallowed hard and attempted to reign in his rampant imagination. "I'm ready."

"I seriously doubt that," was the mumbled reply, one he wasn't sure he understood, or really wanted to at that time.

Lucky for him, there was no time to ponder the meaning of Trowa's words. Unlucky for him, as the other man pushed aside the curtain and stepped behind Duo, he had a very clear glimpse of creamy skin over strong muscle. Quickly he turned and lost his precarious footing in the process.

Strong arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him against a hard chest and holding him there. "It's just me, Duo. I promise I would never hurt you. You do know that, right?"

Momentarily he was glad that Trowa had assumed he was frightened, but his innate inability to lie got the best of him and he sighed, "I've never been scared of you, Trowa."

He hadn't been aware the other man was tense, but after he spoke, Trowa's arms relaxed a little and he heard a soft sigh that sounded a lot like relief. They remained like that for a few long seconds where Duo alternated between wanting to put as much space between them and turning into the other man's chest.

There was no way for him to know what Trowa was thinking as the bandages were removed and dropped to the bathroom floor in a pile that made Duo's eyes go wide. He was much too afraid to ask what the man was thinking, so when he was gently shifted under the water his mind was in a jumble. For a long while, Duo let Trowa guide him, reveling in the movements of hands that were gentle instead of bruising. Knowing that his body was reacting to the ministrations but unable to control it, he kept his body turned from Trowa, as well as his eyes.

As his back was cleaned carefully, he placed both hands on the wall and propped himself up, enjoying the sensations. In his mind he knew he should be embarrassed by being aroused by someone that was simply doing him a favor, but his heart and body were telling him to enjoy what he could for the moment. It had been so long since he had gotten an erection that he had been afraid that he never would again, and it was satisfying to learn Heero hadn't been able to take that away from him along with his pride and sense of self-worth.

Trowa's hands gently unwound his braid and began to wash his hair thoroughly, regardless of how long it was taking. When long fingers began to massage his scalp, Duo couldn't stop the soft moan that escaped from his lips. He wanted to protest when the hands stopped moving, biting his tongue to remain quiet.

"Did I hurt you?" Trowa's voice came from near his ear, making him tremble as warm breath washed across his wet skin.

Shamed at his thoughts, he shook his head slowly, clenching his eyes shut. "N-no. You didn't hurt me, Trowa. I'm okay."

After a short pause, Trowa's hands resumed moving against his head. "Feels good, then?" When Duo didn't answer, he laughed softly, "I can imagine it does. It must feel good to have someone hand's in your hair, rubbing with fingers, much like this." In demonstration, Trowa dug his fingers down even harder, increasing the pressure slightly until Duo's eyes threatened to roll back into his head in pleasure.

Trying to find something to keep him from melting into a puddle at Trowa's feet, Duo latched onto one thing that might keep his mind occupied, "No one's ever washed your hair? That's hard to believe."

"There aren't many people that I would trust enough to take a shower with, Duo," Trowa's low voice was at his ear again, serious as he spoke. "Such a position leaves a person too open, too vulnerable. You should know that."

Opening his eyes for a second, Duo realized the truth of the taller man's words. It was a precarious position they were in, completely bared to each other as they were. "I'm sorry for needing help, Trowa. I'll understand if you want to get out."

"If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be."

The depth of the words and the tone finally penetrated Duo's mind, and his entire body trembled. If his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, he heard more than friendship in the low voice, but reminded himself that that was ridiculous. "I really appreciate the help, ya' know."

"Perhaps later you'll realize it's not your appreciation that I want."

"What do you want?"

"I'm hoping you'll figure it out."

Confused but not wanting to admit it, Duo turned just enough to allow him to see Trowa's face, very close to his own. "Can you give me a hint?"

Before he had time to regret his request, Trowa's mouth sealed firmly over his, the hands in his hair stilling for a moment. It wasn't a deep kiss, but it was more than enough to make the blood rush in his ears, drowning out all other sounds. The kiss only lasted seconds, but by the time Trowa released him, his legs felt weaker than they had before.

Green eyes were watching him warily, with none of the amusement Duo would have expected from his shocked reaction. "Does that give you a hint, Duo?"

"But why? Why would you want me when you could have anyone you wanted to?" He was completely baffled. "Why would you want someone that's as…broken as I am?"

Leaning away, Trowa resumed washing the long hair. "You aren't broken, Duo, just a little battered. And I don't want to sleep with you. I want you…all of you…all the time. I have for a long time."

His mind whirling, Duo stayed quiet as Trowa washed and conditioned his hair, still fighting the throbbing erection that was now painfully hard. Soapy hands slid down his chest to his stomach, making him gasp. "Normally I wouldn't say anything about this, but would you like me to help you a little? That seems to be painful."

"I can't ask you to do that," he argued without any heat. One arm wrapped around him, pulling him to Trowa's body and directly in contact with the hardness of the other man's own erection.

"You aren't asking, Duo. I am. Let me do this for you, please." Trowa's laugh was a low one, without any real amusement in it, "I think I need this as much as you do, if not more."

Even if he could have found his voice, Duo didn't think he had the strength to deny what they both so obviously wanted. Nodding, he reached behind his body to grasp Trowa's erection with his good hand, smiling a little when Trowa was the one to gasp this time. Strength of a sort that he hadn't felt in a long time filled him when he looked up and found Trowa's eyes shut and his mouth open, gasping for breath.

Letting power wash over him, he carefully turned so he was facing the tall brunette, his wounded hand resting on a strong shoulder to keep him balanced. He was starting to feel light-headed, but it could have been from any number of things. He had been beaten badly that day, hadn't eaten anything since the day before, and now he had a very strong man willingly letting him do anything to his body. Most likely it was a combination of everything, but Duo had no intention of stopping until he brought Trowa to his knees.

Realizing that he had the other man under his control and reveling in that feeling, Duo kept his voice low, not masking the huskiness of it. "What do you want me to do, Trowa? What do want from me right now?"

Dazed green eyes focused on him, Trowa's arm pulling him even closer even as his other hand closed around Duo, making him suck in a breath. "Anything you'll give me."

"Will you take me? Make me forget?"

The words were out of his mouth before he had a chance to think about it. To give Trowa credit, the other man didn't run out of the shower – and away from Duo – as fast as possible. He merely jerked at the request. "Please don't ask me to do that, Duo. You're not ready for that kind of intimacy with me, or anyone for that matter."

"If you don't want me, I understand." Duo realized how ludicrous this was, having this conversation while rubbing Trowa's erection, but he couldn't stop if he wanted to.

After taking a deep, tremulous gulp of air, Trowa shook his head, "I want you. You have no idea how badly I want you, believe me. But I don't want our first time to be just because you want something to replace bad memories. I want it to be because you want me."

Seeming a bit desperate, Trowa shoved Duo's hand aside and wrapped a large hand around both of them. The feel of Trowa's hand and erection rubbing him at the same time made Duo cry out and hold onto the taller man with both hands. Trowa's mouth closed over his, swallowing his cries and teasing him with an agile tongue as he brought them both to completion.

Letting the water wash over them, Trowa gave him a serious look. "I need you to want me for me, Duo. I can wait a bit longer for that."


	4. Chapter 4

See first part for warnings.

After the shower, Trowa helped Duo get dressed, forcing his hands not to linger as he pulled the sweatpants up Duo's legs, careful of the wounds. Without asking permission, he picked the smaller man up and carried him to the kitchen, setting him up on the counter. When he risked a glance at Duo, he found wide violet eyes watching him intently.

Terrified he had pushed Duo farther than the other man had been ready for, he debated on bringing up the subject or letting Duo talk first. Finally the quiet got to be too much, making him ask as he was rewrapping Duo's wrist, "Do you hate me?"

The shock on Duo's face was immediate and obvious. "Why would I hate you? Trowa, you just made me feel better than I have in a very long time, and not just from the…uh…favor you did."

Keeping his voice calm was harder than he had ever expected. Not wanting to show his shock at the admission, Trowa lingered over the bandages on Duo's chest, wishing it wasn't so easy to linger, "Will you explain that? I'm sure you and Heero have…" he trailed off, not wanting to think about the couple in bed.

Duo's skin got hot under his fingers and he glanced up to see that the American's face had turned red, contrasting greatly with the white towel wrapped around the long hair. "I haven't been able to…uh…enjoy anything that Heero and I did for over a year. It was never about me."

"You mean he forced you even if you didn't want to?" Trowa was unable to keep the disgust out of his voice.

Obviously uncomfortable, Duo shrugged, "It was easier if I didn't fight him. And a great deal less painful."

Sorting through the wash of emotions, Trowa remained quiet until after he had gotten all of Duo's wounds bandaged. The braided man squeaked in surprise as he was suddenly picked up and moved to one of the chairs that were arranged around the kitchen table. Trowa carefully unwrapped the towel, allowing Duo's hair to fall around the other man. "Can you do this, or do you want some help?" he asked, holding up a brush and a piece of purple ribbon.

Raising his eyebrows, Duo smiled wickedly, "I never figured you for the ribbon type, Tro."

He knew his face was red but kept his eyes level. "It matches your eyes," he commented off-handedly, not wanting to admit that that was why he had bought the spool of satin ribbon in the first place. "I've had it for some time. Just one of those things you pick up on a whim."

Instead of answering the original question or asking any of the ones Trowa could see in his eyes, Duo turned his head decisively, allowing Trowa to brush it. Trowa took up the brush and started at the bottom, working out the tangles that had formed during the day. At some point, Duo must have lost his own ponytail holder, for when Trowa had found him in the garage the long hair was unraveled halfway up from the bottom.

For a while, there was no sound in the room other than their breathing and the rasp of the brush as it ran through the long locks. It was a comfortable silence, one that Trowa felt no need to interrupt with idle chatter. The way Duo relaxed under his hands was enough to keep him quiet, not wanting to say or do anything to upset the other man. It was, obviously, much too early to ask Duo about the abusive relationship that he had just escaped from.

He had managed to get all the tangles out and was just running the brush through when Duo gave out a strange half-laugh, half-sob. Concerned, Trowa set the brush down and pulled Duo close, holding him loosely enough so Duo could escape if he felt the need. "Want to talk about it?"

"My hair was one of the things that Heero hated, and the only thing I ever defied him about. He told me to cut it so many times, not liking the attention it got, or the attention that I paid to it to keep it in good shape."

It was something that Trowa had wondered about more than once. Duo's hair was beautiful, getting attention from both male and female while braided. At first it appeared to be an even chestnut, but when the light hit it, you could find streaks of red, gold, blonde, and even some black that made it as different and original as the man that it was attached to. "How did you keep him from cutting it?"

Duo jerked in his arms, telling him that Heero had attempted to do such a thing at least once, and probably more than that. "I told him that if he cut my hair, I'd go to the media and tell them exactly what he'd been doing. It wouldn't do for Relena Dorlian's head of security to be mixed-up in a scandal."

"I have to say, that was brilliant. I never would have thought of that," Trowa smiled when Duo spun his head to stare. "It was a good threat."

Some of the wariness that had lurked in Duo's eyes faded with the compliment and the honesty with which it was given. After offering a small but pleased smile, Duo resumed his former position, letting Trowa pick the brush up once again. Since Duo had been the first to break the silence, Trowa asked, "Do you know what you're going to do now?"

"I haven't really given it a lot of thought yet. I guess I need to start looking for an apartment or somewhere to live."

"You can stay here as long as you like. There's no rush, Duo." Needing a better argument than he wanted Duo to stay, he added, "You can stay until we're sure that Heero won't bother you. You can't work for a while with your arm, and I plan on going to work with you for at least a week or so once you return. If there are any problems I can stay longer."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't ask, I offered. The store can run without me. It might run better than it does if I'm there, honestly," Trowa added ruefully, getting a small laugh. "Well, it might. Cathy knows what she's doing and tells me all the time that I need to stay away more. Of course when I get back, the entire store might be totally rearranged to her specifications, but it'll probably work better."

As he was separating the hair into three parts to begin braiding, Duo commented, "I don't think I ever got a chance to tell you how much I liked the store, Trowa. I always thought that it was a really good idea."

Extremely pleased by the compliment, Trowa smiled. "It was your idea, Duo, don't you remember?" He laughed at the confused noise from the other man. "During the war we once got stationed near a town that had a large amount of poor people that couldn't afford things they needed to live. You had made a comment that it would be nice if there was a place that they could get things they needed by trading in things that they found that could be recycled."

Since the braiding was completed and tied off with the ribbon, Duo turned to blink at him. "So you thought of a way to do that, just from something that I said? Trowa, that's amazing, but you deserve all the credit for that, not me. You managed to take something that I said and figured out a way for it to work, and work very well."

Trowa's store, named Second Chances, had been a success that not even Trowa had anticipated. While he had a number of customers that bought his new items, he also had a large amount of people that would bring in items that they had found that could be refurbished or recycled and traded them for food or clothing. Several articles had been written up in the local and national papers, and Trowa had gotten praise as being a humanitarian. All the while, he had wanted to tell Duo that it had all come about because of an observation he had made years ago.

Now it seemed that Duo didn't want any of the credit, and it was not the time to confess that part of the proceeds went to the orphanages and schools in the area because Trowa had thought that Duo would approve of the move. "Did you know that we're getting ready to open two more stores? One on the other side of town and one about an hour away."

"That's great, Trowa," Duo enthused as the tall man moved around the bar to get out the hamburger. "I knew it would be a success when you opened up, but I never could have imagined that it would do so well."

Shrugging off the compliment, Trowa put the patties into the pan, and then slid some fries into the deep-fryer. "Maybe now you can work with me sometime. I'd like for you to see everything that we do there."

"I'd really like that. Are you sure that Cathy wouldn't mind me being in the way?"

For a moment, Trowa let himself recall the red-haired woman's reaction when she had convinced Trowa to tell her of Duo and Heero's relationship. The woman had a deep affection for the braided man, and had always been aware of Trowa's feelings for him. With a smile, he nodded, "I think she would be thrilled to have you around. She's always thought of you as a brother. We can call her tomorrow, if you like. I need to tell her that I'll be taking some time off, anyways."

Expertly flipping the burgers, Trowa was very aware of the silence from the man behind him. Hoping he didn't say the wrong thing – right now a conversation with Duo was like walking on egg shells that were already cracked – he turned around to regard the man, feeling like a jerk when he saw the tears on Duo's face.

Setting the pan off the burner, he quickly rounded the island and encircled Duo with his arms. "I don't mean to push you, Duo. You have to tell me when I'm being an ass."

"It's not that. I've missed you so much. I've really missed getting to talk to you, Trowa. You've never pushed me to do anything that I didn't want to." Taking a deep breath, Duo looked up at him with a smile, "I really, really missed you."

To keep from doing something stupid, like kissing the other man, Trowa gave him a quick hug then retreated back to the stove. He kept his back turned when he started to speak, "I missed you, too, Duo. I just wish there had been something that I could do to help you." Shaking his head, he checked the fries to see if they were done. "The important thing now is that you're here, and safe."

"I'm not safe, yet. You know that once he figures out where I am, he'll come for me. Nothing will stop him, Trowa. I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

Flicking a glance at the clock, Trowa was somewhat surprised to find that it was already after midnight. Crossing to the refrigerator, he took out ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce, and anything else he could think of that Duo might want, as well as several pieces of cheese. "We'll talk about that tomorrow. For now, let's eat."


	5. Chapter 5

See first part for warnings.

Walking down the hallway, Duo was grateful that Trowa's house was all one level, but at the same time wishing that it wasn't so spread out. It felt like it took forever to get from the bathroom to the kitchen, where he could hear the owner of the house moving around.

Finally reaching the kitchen door, he stopped and leaned on it to catch his breath. While doing that he was able to just watch as Trowa moved around the room, his focus obviously on the food he was preparing. For the last two weeks, Duo had stayed here with Trowa, letting the tall man take care of him. Only briefly had he spoken to Quatre and Wufei, barely long enough for them to assure him that his vehicles were safe and being well-tended. He was aware that they had come the day after his escape from Heero, but their visit had coincided with Sally's. By the time she had been finished examining him they had already been gone but had promised to come back soon with some clothes for him, since Heero had destroyed the few that he had had.

The decision to close up the shop had been a difficult one, but he knew he was in no shape to work on anything, and wouldn't be for at least another week. He had tried to convince Trowa to go back to work at his store, but the other man wouldn't budge, even when Duo promised not to leave the house.

During the day he and Trowa would talk about anything and everything in a way they hadn't been able to since he had moved in with Heero. No subject was off limits and he had enjoyed the time more than anything else in recent memory. Those days also reminded him of how much he enjoyed being with Trowa, who had a sense of humor that was well hidden, but often as twisted as Duo's own.

The nights were spent in Duo's bed, where Trowa had continued to stay with him, holding him close. There hadn't been any complaints about the way Duo would curl up to him in sleep, something he hadn't been allowed to do with Heero, who valued his private space even while sleeping. When a nightmare did occur, Trowa would talk to him softly while rubbing his back until he was able to fall asleep.

Every morning, Duo woke alone. Every morning, he felt empty.

There had been no more intimacy between them and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He knew that Trowa was being kind and worried that kindness was what had prompted what had transpired that first night in the shower, though it didn't fit with what the tall man had said.

The last few days had been filled with painful memories and even more painful realizations. Duo discovered that his closest friends had been aware of the abuse he had taken from Heero when he thought he had been hiding it so well, not wanting to ask for help because of pride and shame. It had been pride that had kept him with Heero for so long, not wanting to be responsible for their relationship failing. It had taken Trowa's calm attitude and questions designed to make him think for him to realize that his hopes for staying with Heero were pointless. One person couldn't hold a couple together, no matter how much effort was put into it if the other person didn't put any effort at all into it. Now, Duo understood that he should have left Heero long before. As the saying went, hindsight was always twenty-twenty.

Because he had remained with Heero for so long his self-esteem was at an all-time low. The independence and resilience he had always had in excess were suffering, making him unsure of what his next move should be. The apartment was no longer his concern. Heero's name was the only one on the lease, so that was one matter he was able to put out of his mind. The bank account they had shared had most likely been wiped out, but it was still something he needed to check.

The house phone rang, pulling Trowa's attention away from the stove and to where it lay on the counter. After wiping his hands on a towel, he glanced at the number, letting out a low growl before he answered the call, his voice surprisingly normal. "Hello? Heero, how are you?"

Duo tensed but didn't move, not wanting to divert Trowa's attention. He knew how mad Trowa was about the situation, unwilling to let Duo take any of the blame on himself. "What do you mean he's missing?" Trowa demanded, and Duo nearly applauded at the hint of panic in the tall man's voice. He was a much better actor that anyone would have ever believed. "So why would you think he's here? That's flattering, I suppose."

Trowa's head turned, allowing Duo to see his profile. In contrast to the calm tone, the handsome face was set in an icy mask of rage. Do was helpless against the small noise of fear that bubbled out of his throat and he instantly regretted it when Trowa's green eyes fell on him.

When Trowa crossed the kitchen, Duo closed his eyes tight, waiting for the inevitable blow. Surely if Trowa was that angry there would be some sort of repercussions for Duo bringing him into all of this. He was baffled when a gentle hand slid around his waist, and even more so when smooth skin rubbed against his cheek. Daring to open his eyes as Trowa responded to something else Heero said, he saw that the sharp eyes were still angry, but realized that they weren't mad at him. "I certainly don't have them," Trowa said abruptly, his voice conveying impatience. "You're more than welcome to come and look, but I don't have anywhere to store them. I've been toying with the idea of adding a garage but I haven't had time. You do that, then. Call me when you find him. I'm sure he wouldn't have gone far."

Pressing the disconnect button, Trowa hissed out a breath as he slid the phone across the table. "It seems that he called me first. Said I was the first person you would call."

Duo was still wary of the edgy look in Trowa's eyes and swallowed hard while reminding himself that Trowa was someone he had always trusted. "Wh-what did he say?"

"That you took off last week while he was at work and took all of your things." Trowa shook his head, "I think he's trying to make it seem like you left without his being aware of it. That your car and bike were gone only adds to his story if it ever gets out." Looking down at him, Trowa added softly, "He also said that you cleaned out the bank account that you share. I have a feeling it's something he did himself."

"I already thought about that. It doesn't matter," Duo said, letting himself relax into the arm that still held him.

"We can get the money back, Duo."

"No. It really doesn't matter. I put less than a quarter of my earnings in there. I have a separate business account and I never got rid of my old account when I moved in with Heero and he insisted we get one together. When Heero started getting more…erratic I started putting more in my own account, only putting in what I had to in the joint account to keep him from asking questions."

Trowa blinked at him for a moment then threw his head back and laughed. "I'd love to see the look on his face when he finds that out." His mirth faded, turning into a look on worry, "There were times that he rambled, and I've never known Heero to ramble. He actually sounded kind of confused."

"It happens when he gets really mad. Sometimes he would yell at me, but it didn't make any sense. All I could understand was that I had done something that made him mad. That last night, he was more than scary, Trowa. I honestly thought he was going to kill me."

His contemplation of that aspect faded when Trowa led him to a chair and began piling food in front of him. Staring at the large quantity, he raised his brows, "You hungry, Trowa?"

The blush that spread across Trowa's face was mesmerizing. "Sally said that you needed to gain some weight. I thought the best way would be to offer you several different things. Anything we don't eat we can take down to Cathy. She said she wanted to see you."

Developing an avid interest in his food, Duo focused on his plate, "Does she know?"

"I didn't tell her, Duo. I swear it. She figured it out and asked me a long time ago."

"Does everyone know?"

A hand covered his and he forced himself to look at Trowa, giving a mental sigh of relief when he didn't see any pity, only concern. "Sally didn't know until she came here to check on you and we made her swear to keep it to herself. Cathy knew because she has worked with abused women in the past and recognized some of the symptoms in you. Quatre, Wufei and I were worried, but we had no idea how bad it was."

Hearing the self-blame in Trowa's voice had Duo turning his hand over and threading their fingers together while they ate. Duo didn't dwell on how such a simple contact could make him feel better and he enjoyed the easy pleasure that he gained from it. While Duo was washing the dishes, an arrangement they had agreed to since Trowa did most of the cooking, Trowa brought up his anger during the phone call. "I wasn't mad at you, Duo."

Though the bandages were removed, Duo wrist still ached so he was careful as he submersed his hands in the soapy water and pulled out a plate, "I know that. Knowing it didn't keep me from being terrified for a few minutes," he admitted.

"But you held your ground."

The pride in Trowa's voice had Duo glancing up with a small smile. "I kept telling myself that you would never hurt me. Not like that."

"Duo," Trowa hesitated, and then went on with a wince, "why didn't you ever fight back? The two of you were pretty well matched, if I recall correctly."

"It was never anything that I could fight back. It was always so sudden and shocking." The fear had lessened with time, but was still there. At least now he was able to talk about it a little easier. He had already realized that talking it out with Trowa made him feel a little better, and each time it got a bit easier.

"Are you saying he sucker-punched you?"

Able to recall a few incidents with clarity, Duo winced as he nodded. "I would see a movement from the corner of my eye, then _wham_. There wasn't even enough time to brace for it usually."

Hearing a small noise, he focused his attention on the tall man. Trowa's eyes were closed as his hands tightened on the edge of the counter, the knuckles white as the wood began to crack threateningly. Not bothering to dry his hands, Duo ducked under one straining arm and put his hands on Trowa's face.

At the touch, green eyes flew open, regarding Duo with surprise at the move. Stunned at his own actions, Duo moved up on his toes just enough to kiss Trowa softly on the mouth. "It won't do any good to get mad about it anymore. It's over now."

"I wish there had been some way to protect you. Nothing like that should have happened to you. Not to you, Duo."

The almost reverent way Trowa spoke had Duo's eyes filling. Swamped with emotions, he put his arms around Trowa's waist and let his head rest on the strong chest, soothed by the steady beat of Trowa's heart. Above him, he heard a soft sigh before Trowa's arms came around him, holding them together for several minutes.

Eventually, Trowa cleared his throat and pulled back to hold Duo at arm's length. "You feel up to going to see Cathy today? She's been asking about you."

Torn between seeing Trowa's sister and staying with Trowa alone, Duo hesitated for a long moment. Realizing that he needed to get out of the house he nodded, then gave the clothes he wore a rueful look. "We don't happen to have anything that actually fits me, do we?"

Trowa had long since informed him of the way that Heero had destroyed his things. The papers he had copies of at the shop, but his clothes he had no replacements for, since he hadn't owned that many in the first place. Trowa smiled brilliantly, holding up one finger as he crossed the room to snag the phone. Before Duo could ask who he was calling, Trowa was speaking, "Weren't you supposed to bring Duo some more clothes? We're planning to go see Catherine and he would like some clothes that fit. Yes, I agree that he looks cute in my clothes, but he can't go around in them all the time. All right, we'll be here."

Duo looked down at his own body thoughtfully, the shirt of Trowa's hanging almost down to his knees and nearly hiding the shorts he wore underneath. Frowning at Trowa, he had to ask, "Cute?"


	6. Chapter 6

See first part for warnings.

Less than half an hour later, Quatre and Wufei stormed the house, laden with bags and boxes. Trowa took one look at Duo's horrified expression and burst out laughing. As the couple went back to Wufei's truck to get another load, Trowa hurriedly went to Duo. "All of this is for me?" the long-haired man asked, apparently overwhelmed.

"There would have been more, but Wufei talked Quatre out of going to the toy store." Seeing the humiliation that began to creep into Duo's eyes, he sat down on the couch and took Duo's hand, pressing his lips to Duo's temple, "Quatre wanted to do something to help you. This was the only thing that he could do and he went a little overboard. Let him do this. He's felt helpless since we found you."

Duo nodded once and rested his head on Trowa's shoulder. Trowa, in turn, leaned his head on top of Duo's for a moment, not missing the approving glances Quatre and Wufei sent them when they came back in. It didn't take long for Quatre to have Duo sitting in the floor on an oversized cushion. Duo, like everyone else, was swept along with the blonde's enthusiasm, digging into bags to see what was inside. Once he looked up at Trowa and grinned, "I guess this is what a normal kid feels like at Christmas."

Realizing that Heero had neglected even the holidays as well as mistreating him had Trowa's throat closing up. In order to escape for a moment, he fled to the kitchen with the excuse of getting some refreshments, as it appeared that it would be some time before Quatre was finished with Duo. As he was preparing tea for Wufei and Quatre, Wufei entered the room behind him but remained silent.

Knowing that the caramel-skinned man had something to say, he tried to delay the inevitable. "Did Heero call you this morning?"

"Saying that Duo had left while he was at work?" Wufei replied without humor. "You realize that he was establishing that Duo ran away so if his body showed up there would be no way to blame him. I suppose after not being able to find Duo for two weeks he figures that someone finished the job he started."

"It had occurred to me. He even cleaned out their bank account to make it look like Duo had done it."

"We'll get the money back if Duo needs it."

"Apparently, he doesn't." Trowa related what Duo had told him of the separate accounts, earning a chuckle from the other man.

"Heero's not going to be happy when he realizes that Duo deceived him."

"That occurred to me, as well, Wufei," he stated, trying to keep the irritation from his tone. "He's going to stay with me until I'm a hundred percent positive that he's safe."

"Why don't you just tell him you want him to stay permanently?"

"He's not ready, Wufei. Not for what I want. It's only been a few weeks since he managed to get away from Heero. I'm not going to pressure him just because I need him."

"It's not wise to keep the decision from him, Trowa. There has been someone controlling his life long enough already. That's exactly what you're doing, just in a different way. It doesn't make it any better that you're doing it for his sake and not your own."

Fuming at the unsolicited advice, Trowa carefully poured juice into a glass for himself and retrieved a soda for Duo. He didn't appreciate being compared to Heero in any way, and it was only made worse that he had already had the same thoughts. Shoving his anger down, he took a tray with their drinks and began to move into the living room, stopping when Wufei took his arm. After the other man studied his face for a moment, he nodded, "You already recognized that you are being unfair to him."

"It doesn't make things any easier, Wufei. I already planned to talk to him, but I wanted to wait a while. I know that I can't wait any longer." Moving into the living room, he put his frustration aside, knowing that Duo would be able to see it.

For over an hour he took part in the conversation, smiling easily as Duo tried on several outfits at Quatre's insistence, with the excuse that he wanted to make sure everything fit. At first Trowa was stiff and formal with Wufei, but that soon passed due to years of friendship. By the time the couple left, he and Wufei were at ease with each other again.

After saying their goodbyes and closing the door behind the pair, Trowa turned to look at Duo, still sitting in the middle of a pile of clothing and accessories. The long-haired man stared at the items for several long seconds before turning violet eyes to Trowa, "What am I supposed to do with all of this?"

"The useful thing is wear them in some combination," Trowa teased, "though you can always stay in my things if you want. I like you wearing them." Leaning over he peeked in one of the undisturbed bags, "Is there anything else that you need?"

"I don't think so. They got shoes, socks, pants, shirts, shorts, boxers, and there are bags that I haven't even looked in yet. Where're we gonna put all of this?"

"You decide what you want to wear today and I'll start putting this stuff up. I can easily make some room in our- your room." Trowa winced at the slip. His hope that Duo wouldn't notice the mistake was dashed by the other man's sudden stillness. "I'll take some of these back now," he grabbed a few bags and left the room without looking back.

In the room that Duo had been using, Trowa berated himself harshly as he shoved things around in the dresser, then the closet. "Idiot. He doesn't need to deal with this right now and you go and say something like that. I bet he thinks I want to use him or something."

"If you were going to, you would have already."

Jerking up at the sudden voice, Trowa banged his head on the shelf and sat on the floor, dizzy. After a second he cautiously looked at the doorway where Duo leaned on the frame so he could keep weight off his ankle, which still pained him. Cursing himself mentally, Trowa rose slowly and moved across the room to pick Duo up and set him on the bed. Without a word, he returned to the closet, rubbing the knot forming on his head.

He was shoving hangars to one side when Duo's voice, soft and pleading, reached him. "Please talk to me, Trowa."

"You aren't ready for this."

There was more than a hint of anger in Duo's tone when he spoke, "I've let someone else make all the decisions for me for a long time. I don't intend to do it anymore. I can't make a decision unless I have all the information. So talk."

With a sigh of resignation, Trowa moved out of the closet and leaned his hip on the dresser. There were numerous things he could have said, but what came out was a very frustrated, "Dammit, I'm in love with you!"

As soon as he said the words he slammed his mouth shut. It was impossible to say which of them was more shocked by his admission and he quickly backpedaled. "That didn't come out right," he groaned, rubbing his face.

"You mean you aren't in love with me?"

The soft query had him taking a careful look at the other man. There was shock present on Duo's face, yes, but there was also curiosity. If Trowa had seen anything else he would have lied and not felt a qualm about it. Instead, he sat beside Duo and took his hand, smiling as their fingers twined together. "I don't like touching casually, or being touched," he noted, staring at their hands, "but with you I crave it. I'm in love with you, Duo. I have been for a long time, but this wasn't how I planned to tell you."

"That's what you meant in the shower," Duo spoke carefully, as if measuring his words and trying to decide how he felt about it.

"Yeah, that's what I meant. I don't want anything from you. It's too soon and I know that. Just give it some thought, okay?"

He tried to stand, stopping when Duo's fingers retained their grip. Seeing the pain on Duo's face, he hastened to reassure, "What I feel is free and comes with no obligation, so stop worrying."

Shaking his head, Duo met his eyes, "I care about you, Trowa, a lot. I trust you more than anyone else. I thought I knew what love was once, but I didn't. I need to figure out how I feel, really feel, before I can tell you more than that."

"For now that's more than enough, and it's more than I ever expected. You get dressed and I'll go get some more bags," he forced a smile as he moved away.

He was in the hallway when he heard Duo speak again, "I promise I'll think about it."

Ruthlessly, he squashed the hope that tried to form and went about his self-designated task. For now that was enough, and he had to accept that it might be all he ever got.


	7. Chapter 7

See first part for warnings.

They managed to keep Duo's whereabouts a secret for over two months. After numerous heated discussions, he had gone back to work, providing he took on some temporary help. Seeing the man that would be his short-term mechanic had given Duo some bad moments, but when he discovered that the man had extensive experience with cars as well as being a bodyguard he had given in. It was either that or have Trowa going to work with him, and he felt that Trowa had been away from his own business for long enough.

It had taken several days for him to convince Trowa that he was fine with Chris, though he was still occasionally nervous about the man's large size. To ensure he really was okay with the big man, Trowa had gotten Chris to come to the house and do some work in the yard, not agreeing with Duo's decision to reopen the shop until he was positive that Duo would be okay with Chris' presence.

For Duo, going back to the shop was a welcome reprieve. While he enjoyed being with Trowa and often missed him when they were apart, he had to admit that when he was around the tall man he couldn't think clearly, and that was something that he desperately needed to do. He often thought he knew how he felt about Trowa, but then Trowa would touch him, or speak to him, or look at him, and all his certainties would disappear, leaving him baffled all over again.

Trowa's admission of his feelings weeks before had come as a surprise, but only for a moment. It had only taken an instant for him to admit that he had been aware of Trowa's feelings before he had spoken of them. He had forced the subject from his mind, though, believing that he wasn't worthy of Trowa. He had seen the long looks, and had been hyper aware of the ease with which Trowa touched him. He had also already noticed how he felt when with Trowa, but had stopped himself from saying anything that would bind them together, needing to make certain of his feelings before admitting them.

They had settled into an easy routine once they had both returned to their jobs. Trowa would arrive minutes before he closed the shop for the day, then they would go to Trowa's home, which was feeling more and more like Duo's home every day. He would climb into the shower to wash off the grease and grime while Trowa started supper, then they would share the small details of their day while eating, talking of any plans they had for the next day.

After supper was finished, Duo would wash the dishes, Trowa expertly drying and putting them up. The tall man would then take his own shower, after which they would spend the rest of the evening with games, movies, or most often just talking. Occasionally they would either have Quatre and Wufei over to dinner, or go over to the couple's house.

At the end of the day, no matter what they had done or where they had been, they would climb into the same bed. Duo's nightmares had faded and rarely came now, but neither of them had made comment about continuing to sleep together, and silently Duo had to admit that it was one of his favorite parts of the day. Every night Trowa would pull him close, enfolding him in those long arms, keeping him safe as he fell asleep.

There had been no pressure from Trowa, in any form. If they were close he would brush a hand across Duo's hair or weave their fingers together in a way that had Duo was beginning to expect. At times, a soft kiss would be placed on his hair, head, hands or lips until Duo realized that he wanted more than the fleeting contact he was being given.

It had taken him a lot longer to come to terms with his own feelings than it had been to understand that Trowa had meant what he had said. Sometimes at night he would lie awake, listening to the other man's even breathing and compared the way he felt about Trowa to the way he had felt about Heero. For a while he had been ashamed that he could so easily turn from one man to another, but that faded when he discovered some things about himself.

Heero had controlled him and Duo had allowed it because he had truly loved the blue-eyed man. That love had begun to change the first time that Heero had hit him. Over time it had altered to the need to be accepted, and after that all hope was lost, replaced by fear and resignation. Now he was only scared of Heero and his insane rage.

With Trowa, Duo felt whole. He wasn't expected to change who or what he was. When Trowa had said his love was given freely and needed no payment he had honestly meant it. That was proven every day they were together, in a dozen small ways. The one time Trowa had seen Duo in deep conversation with a customer, he had only exhibited a mild curiosity. When Duo had begun to explain, he had merely shook his head and kissed Duo, telling him that it didn't matter, then asking if he had any preferences for dinner.

Duo was starting to see that Trowa was a reserved person by nature, mostly keeping his thoughts and emotions to himself. It was only around Duo that he felt free enough to share what he was thinking or offer a hug for no reason. Duo had been rather stunned on a shopping trip when Trowa's hand had linked with his even though some people had stopped and stared. He had asked Trowa about it later. The tall man had blushed darkly, mumbling that he had needed to touch Duo, it hadn't mattered where they were.

While he wanted to tell Trowa how he felt, he knew there was one last hurdle before he could feel in control of his life. He needed the pride he had lost back, and the only way to do that was by facing Heero one last time.

The very idea scared him to death.

It was too easy to recall how much it had hurt when Heero had hit him, the memories of Heero standing over him that last night too vivid in his mind. Not sure at all that he wouldn't cower when seeing Heero again, he continued to put it off, telling himself that it was best to wait.

He put it off for too long.

Two months after Heero had beat him with every intention of killing him, Duo was in the shop with Chris, working on a stubborn motor that had been giving a customer problems. For the last few days, he had felt a creepy sensation that someone was watching him, but he ignored it after several days of being on edge, attributing the feeling to his expectation. Even now, the hair on the back of his neck stood up, but he didn't really think he was in any danger while in the garage with Chris, who was big enough to stop even the most determined maniac.

On the opposite side of the truck, Chris smiled at him over the engine, "You gonna close early tomorrow? The wife wants me to take her to some ballet."

Imagining the huge man sitting in the audience and watching the graceful dancers was enough to make Duo forget his discomfort. Grinning back, he commented, "It shouldn't be a problem. We don't have anything pressing until next week, and Trowa said something about a surprise this weekend."

"You two are good together," Chris commented easily. Aware of the circumstances behind Duo's need for a bodyguard, he added, "I hope after all this is over you choose to stay with him." As if sensing Duo's discomfort, he changed the subject. "I was going to tell you not to put anything off on my account. I could always work after you leave tomorrow. It wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit to miss a ballet." The smile Chris was wearing disappeared in an instant, his eyes wide on something behind Duo.

Seeing the change, Duo braced for the attack, cursing himself for not paying more attention to his instincts. When his braid was yanked hard enough to force his head back, he let out a pained groan. There was no surprise when he saw Heero, but his eyes widened when he saw the gun being pointed at Chris. "If you fight me, he dies. Get it, Duo?"

He tried to nod, but his head was held immobile, "I get it," he ground out through his teeth, more from anger than pain.

Almost instantly he was being drug through the shop, then shoved into Heero's car on the passenger side, sliding behind the steering wheel without having to be told. "You drive. If you get any funny ideas-"

"You'll shoot Chris. I get that, Heero. Where are we going?"

"Just drive," Heero stated, slamming the door behind him, keeping the gun aimed at the large man that had started to move across the garage.

Risking a glance, Duo nearly panicked when he realized that Heero didn't look sane. There was a light in the cobalt eyes that spoke of madness, and his hair, normally mussed, appeared to be missing in some areas. Pulling out of the lot, Duo had time to look back briefly, and saw Chris talking rapidly into a phone.


	8. Chapter 8

See first part for warnings.

"What do you mean, he's gone?" Trowa shouted into the phone, gaining stares from several customers.

"The guy you told me about came after him, with a very large gun. I didn't know what to do. I had the feeling that if I tried to fight him he would shoot both of us and leave me there to die while he took Duo wherever he planned to," Chris replied, sounding almost as shaken as Trowa felt.

Cathy hustled him into the office as he listened, more worried with each passing word. "Heero had a gun?"

"I don't know what he told Duo, but Duo believed him. I don't think that guy is thinking rationally anymore, Trowa, if he ever was."

"Heero's always been more unstable than the rest of us," Trowa began, only to be cut off.

"Unstable don't describe this. He's gone around the bend. I already called the cops, and the Preventers since you said that you're friends with some of the higher-ups. There's a bolo out on his car, but no word yet."

"Keep me up to date," he ordered, then hung up to tell Cathy what was happening while trying to plan his next move. His brain, usually his best asset, failed him. He could only think of the hell that Duo was being put through.

He was dialing Wufei's number when Wufei and Quatre burst into the office from the back door. "Relena just called in a panic," Quatre said without waiting. "She said that Heero didn't show up for work this morning and went into his office to see if he had left a note regarding his whereabouts. She found a shopping list that worried her and a rental agreement for a cabin up in the mountains. The listed check-in date is today, Trowa."

"She also said that Heero's been acting strange the last few weeks, much more withdrawn and temperamental than normal," Wufei added, his eyes dark with concern. "There was a receipt for a .45 in his desk, along with receipts for rope, knives, and some other items that are usually used for torture. You need to call Chris and tell him to be alert."

"It's too late," Trowa whispered, filled with despair. "Heero took Duo away at gunpoint less than fifteen minutes ago."

"Quatre, call Relena and get the address of the cabin. Heero has to take Duo there," Cathy spoke up suddenly into the stunned silence. "I don't know what he has planned, but I can guarantee he'll want privacy to do it."

Shying away from the reasons Heero would need privacy, Trowa nodded, grateful that one of them was still able to think. Grabbing his car keys, he waited only until the blonde man wrote the address down on a sheet of paper. "I have a GPS in the car, let's go." He wasn't surprised when Quatre and Wufei hurried to the SUV, but when Cathy jumped in the front seat beside him, he stopped and stared.

"Jessica is going to deal with the store," she explained hurriedly, speaking of one of the clerks that had worked for them since they had first opened. "I care about him too, Trowa. You aren't going without me."

He decided not to argue as she entered the address into the navigation system, speeding off as soon as he got the first set of directions. Hearing the final destination, he winced, "Didn't Heero take Duo on vacation to Lake Powahatan last year?"

"Duo thought the name was funny," Wufei offered softly from the back seat, then hissed out a breath. "You can bet if it's the same place there will be a number of defenses we'll have to get through before we can reach the cabin."

As the minutes ticked away in his head, Trowa tried his best to remain calm. His main focus now was getting Duo back safely, but he worried that Heero would break the man he loved desperately. When a hand touched his arm, he jumped in surprise, flicking a glance at Catherine. "We'll get him back, Trowa. You need to call Chris and get him to tell the others where we are going and that they need to stay away from the cabin. If they get there first, a lot of people are going to get killed."

Following her advice, he called Chris and related what they knew, stressing that the authorities needed to stay clear. Just before hanging up, he added, "I'm counting on you, Chris. If Heero feels threatened, he will kill Duo. You have to keep that from happening."

"I won't let you down again. I like Duo, a lot. I'll make sure everyone understands what's at stake."

A little more in control, he hung up the phone and tossed it into Cathy's lap. "I need you to reach under the seat and get the metal box."

As soon as she held it in her lap, he told her the combination, hearing her quick gasp when she realized what it contained. "Do you think you're going to need this?" she asked, loading the gun and checking the safety with practiced ease.

"I hope not, but I'd rather be prepared."

The silence in the car was broken by two clicks from the back seat. Glancing in the mirror, he saw Wufei hand Quatre a gun, showing that they had also feared the worst when receiving the call from Relena. There was nothing left to say, and the rest of the drive was made in silence.

Seeing the last road before their destination, Trowa pulled the car to a stop and parked on the side of the road. Looking up the winding gravel drive, he noted, "Heero probably has an alarm at the end of the road, and that gravel will make too much noise to take the car up. We go on foot from here."

Wordlessly, Quatre and Wufei nodded their agreement and got out of the vehicle. When Cathy made to follow them, Trowa stopped her with a fierce scowl. "You stay here." When she began to argue, he took her arms, "I need you to keep everyone else down here. If someone sets off an alarm, he'll know he's not alone. That could get Duo hurt. Please, Cathy."

From the look on her face, he knew that she wanted to argue and silently gave a sigh of relief when she nodded. Needing the comfort, he hugged her quickly, nodding at her soft, "Bring him back safe, Trowa."

"I'll bring him home. I have to," he said back, then hurried to where Quatre and Wufei were waiting for him. Walking into the dense woods that lined each side of the graveled road, he commented, "This isn't going to be easy."

"It's like being back in the war again, and having to sneak onto a base," Wufei offered, though from his expression he didn't feel any happier about the comparison.

"At least then we didn't have to worry about a friend being killed by someone that was once a friend," Quatre growled as he tucked his gun into the back of his tailored pants, making the contrast seem even more unbelievable.

Silently agreeing with Quatre's words, Trowa slowly walked forward, keeping his eyes open for any signs of a trap or trip wire that would signal their presence. For what felt like hours they trekked up the side of the mountain, skirting numerous traps that they found. Carefully navigating around yet another wire, Trowa spoke, keeping his voice low so it wouldn't travel past the other two men, "Do either of you find this a little excessive?" he gestured to the taut wire, attached to a nearby tree. He had no doubts that if you tugged on the wire there would be a nasty surprise.

"I was wondering if anyone else had noticed," Quatre replied just as quietly.

"Heero was never this careful when we were on the run from Oz," added Wufei, his tone worried. "I recall him putting out some traps around a safe house, but this runs more to paranoia than being cautious."

Chris' words came back to Trowa, combined with what Relena had said. "It's very possible that Heero has lost it. Chris said that he didn't seem sane when he took Duo."

There was nothing to say to that, so they continued to move up the mountain as quickly as possible while remaining cautious. When they finally spotted the cabin, they crouched down in order to stay out of sight. Light coming through the windows would normally provide a welcome sight, but Trowa couldn't stop the shiver or the feeling of impending danger when he saw Heero pass by the glass, the gun in his hand visibly pointed on something inside the room.

"Could this possibly get any worse?" Wufei asked from beside him.

Trowa was already wishing that question hadn't been asked when the sound of approaching tires on the gravel distracted him. Disbelieving his ears, he turned his head, cursing softly when he saw the unmistakable headlights coming up the road. "Son of a bitch, why didn't they listen?"

"We'll deal with them later, Trowa. The situation just got a lot worse," Quatre informed him, pulling his attention back to the cabin, where Heero now stood, framed by the window. "If they get any closer, he's going to do something."

"You guys go stop them, I don't care how."

"What are you going to do?"

Wishing he actually had an answer to Wufei's query, he shook his head. "I'm going to get inside somehow, and get Duo the hell out before Heero decides to shoot him as punishment for someone coming. I don't have any idea how I'm going to do it, but I'm going to, dammit."

"Be careful," was the whispered warning as the couple moved off to stop the oncoming vehicle.

His mind only on rescuing Duo, Trowa realized that being careful was one thing that he probably wasn't going to do. Staying low, he began to creep across the clearing toward the cabin, feeling exposed. He was almost to the door when he heard two shots in rapid succession from inside the building. Without a thought to his own safety, he crashed into the door and shoved it open.


	9. Chapter 9

See first part for warnings.

His hands tied behind him with several pieces of stiff leather, Duo watched Heero as the other man moved jerkily around the room. He shifted once, only to find himself looking down the business end of the gun. "Do you remember coming here?" Heero asked, obviously finding nothing strange about carrying on a conversation while aiming a gun between Duo's eyes.

Deciding that Heero was too erratic to move, Duo kept his voice low, his eyes trained on Heero's, "Last summer."

"We had fun, didn't we?" The dreamy quality to Heero's voice was at odds with the determined, and crazy, look in his eyes.

"_We_ did not. _You_ did. I cleaned the entire time."

Heero blinked at the harsh words, lowering the gun slightly. "You've changed. I knew that if you ever spent much time with _him_ that you would," he said sadly, shaking his head.

"Who are you talking about?"

"Trowa, who else?" Heero spat the name, his face curling with distaste. "He always wanted you. It's the main reason I had to make sure you were mine."

Shocked, Duo stared for a long moment before the anger began to well inside of him, overcoming the fear he had started to feel. "You knew how he felt about me? That's why you wanted to date me?"

"It's why I got you to move in with me," explained Heero in a frighteningly rational voice. "I could see the way he looked at you. But I won, didn't I?"

Hearing the crunch of tires coming up the drive, Duo talked fast in the hopes of distracting Heero. He had no doubts that Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei would be coming for him and knew he would do anything to protect them, even if it meant inviting Heero's rage. The other three had no idea that the Heero they had known for years was gone, replaced with a creature that was terrifyingly unreasonable. "You didn't win anything, Heero. I don't love you. I don't want you. I want Trowa. I love Trowa," he finally admitted out loud for the first time. "Did you know that ever since the night I left you that I was with him?"

As Heero began to shake with rage, Duo frantically worked on the straps that were holding his hands tight behind him. If he could just get them loose he could get out of the chair and hopefully stop Heero from hurting anyone. Cobalt eyes narrowed on his face, "You're lying."

"I don't lie. Trowa's the one that came to get me after you left me to die. Every night I've slept in the same bed with him, with his arms around me, holding me close. You know the best part, Heero? I've even kissed him, and I felt more than I did with you."

"NO!" Heero shouted, raising the gun up again.

His hands freed, Duo shifted just in time to dodge the first bullet. The second shot caught him in the side even as he propelled himself forward, ramming into Heero before the other man had time to realize his intention. With his feet tied to the chair, his options were limited, but he had no plans to let Heero get up again, no matter what it took. Feeling the muscles flex underneath him, he aimed a blow to Heero's temple out of desperation, breathing a sigh of relief when his former lover went limp.

Seconds later, the door was shoved open and Trowa ran into the room holding his gun out. When green eyes fell on Duo and Heero, the gun dropped from lifeless fingers and Duo was swept away from the unconscious man and settled into Trowa's lap. Feeling the fierce grip that Trowa had on him, he sighed and let himself relax, raising his head when he heard a commotion at the door.

Wufei and Quatre were leading a team of other people, all of them armed. They all froze when they saw Trowa holding Duo, Quatre stepping forward hesitantly, "Duo?"

"I'm okay, mostly. Do you think you can get this chair off my feet?" he asked as more people rushed through the open door. As Quatre bent to the chair to deal with the straps, Duo smiled weakly at the large man that was standing beside Wufei looking guilty. "Chris, I'm not paying you overtime for this."

He barely got the words out before he heard the sob, muffled by his own neck. Using his hands he forced Trowa to look at him, stunned by the tears he found tracking down the tall man's face. "I'm okay, Trowa."

"I was so scared that I had lost you," Trowa whispered, pressing his lips to Duo's head as if to reassure himself that he was really there. "I promised that I wouldn't let him hurt you again."

Making sure that he had Trowa's attention, he shook his head, wishing he hadn't when it made him feel light headed. "You didn't let him hurt me. I was counting on him shooting; I just thought he would only fire once. He managed to get a lucky shot, really, but it's not that bad," he said, even as he registered the horror on Trowa's face. "I've had worse, Trowa."

"Good God," Trowa's hands were shifting Duo on his lap, pressing to his side and coming away covered with blood, "get the medic, Wufei. Duo's been shot." Duo watched through a haze as Trowa yanked his shirt off and pressed it to Duo's side, "You meant for him to shoot you?"

"No. I wanted him to shoot _at_ me," Duo stressed the difference, his tongue feeling thick.

"Why in the hell did you want him to do that, Duo?"

Seeing that Trowa was on the verge of hysterics, he tried to explain even as he was lifted onto a gurney, "He was going to shoot someone, Trowa. I had the feeling that you were going to be the first in the door, and you wouldn't have had any warning. I couldn't let him hurt you."

Realizing that he was being pushed outside on the gurney, he reached out and grabbed at one of the cops milling about the room, only slightly worried that he had to think about what he wanted to say. "Are you going to arrest him? What he really needs is help."

"He wasn't violent before this?" the cop asked doubtfully.

"Not like this. Heero might have had some problems, but he would never do something like this. He just…snapped at some point and we didn't realize it." To Trowa, who was standing beside the stretcher, he said, "I think the experiments that J did on him finally caught up to him."

Trowa's eyes were still red, but he nodded. As Duo was taken to the waiting ambulance, a cop followed them, asking Trowa several questions. "I still have to take his statement, but I can do it at the hospital. From what we've found already there shouldn't be a problem."

"Do I have to go to the hospital?" Duo turned pleading eyes at Trowa, hoping to get out of what he considered an unnecessary visit.

"Sorry, Duo. This time you have to go. You're going to need several stitches and you might need some blood."

Feeling unexpectedly exhausted, Duo nodded. From the corner of his eye he saw Heero being loaded into another ambulance. "Make sure they sedate him, Trowa. He won't be out long, and he might hurt someone."

"I'll see to it, Duo. You just get some rest. I'll meet you at the hospital since they won't let me ride with you."

Blinking his eyes open and wondering when they had closed, he focused on Trowa blearily, "We have to talk Trowa. Soon."

"As soon as you feel up to it, okay? Just rest now."

Helpless to do anything else, Duo let his eyes fall closed and let the world around him fade into darkness.

The next day, Duo was straining to get out of the hospital. He hated everything in them, from the white walls and the soft voices the nurses used to the smell of antiseptic that lingered in the air. The nerves he felt from being forced to stay were only compounded by the cops sitting in the room with him. He recognized the older one from the night before, but he couldn't recall what had been said. "I don't really know what else I can tell you that will be helpful," he offered, wishing that Trowa were with him. He hadn't seen the tall man in several hours and Trowa had been strangely quiet during the brief visit.

The older cop in the room that Duo assumed was the lead detective nodded; making some notes in the small notebook he carried before tucking it into his jacket pocket. "From everything we've learned I doubt there will be any problems for you, or for your friends. Mr. Yuy appears to have suffered some sort of mental breakdown."

The junior partner spoke up from where he lounged near the window, his tone insolent, "Rumor is that Mr. Yuy was once a Gundam pilot. Do you think that has something to do with his mental condition?"

Letting his anger lead, Duo glared at the man, who was a few years older than himself. "Do you think that you would be in danger if you were in a room with a former Gundam pilot?"

"Actually, yes. I heard that they were all unstable and very dangerous," the younger man replied lazily.

Duo saw that amused expression from the lead detective and decided that a small demonstration would be appropriate about now. His irritation level was already high, and the thinly veiled insults he had endured from the younger cop just made it worse, so he didn't censor what he said. "Then maybe you should run because I'm already in a pisser of a mood and I don't need any shit from a snot-nosed cop that thinks he knows everything." Briefly he let the light of Shinigami shine in his eyes, smiling with cold amusement when the man visibly flinched.

"From the interviews I already conducted, it appears that you were also a Gundam pilot, along with several of your friends," the older detective winked at Duo from his seat while talking, making Duo relax a little. "You have a lot of people that are very fond of you working for the Preventers, and Relena Dorlian also backed up your story, saying that Mr. Yuy had been quite erratic for several months. Looking closer, we also found that his work has been going steadily downhill for at least a year, and bills that he paid on time before were being paid late, usually by one of Ms. Dorlian's secretaries."

Duo couldn't stop the surprise that showed on his face at this news. Feeling a combination of pity and sorrow, he shook his head, "We never noticed there was anything wrong."

"Your…friend, Mr. Barton, told us that Mr. Yuy had been violent toward you in the past. Was there anything specific that would set him off?"

"Last night he told me that he wanted to move in with him so Trowa couldn't have me," Duo admitted, feeling his face do a slow burn. "He kept saying that he won because I was with him, but I told him that he didn't. As to before, there wasn't any one thing that would make him angry. Anything that I did wrong in his eyes was subject to punishment."

"So one Gundam pilot couldn't fight another one off? You just let him beat on you? Did you enjoy it?"

Tired of the sneer in the other man's voice, Duo pushed himself out of bed and stood beside it. "Did you know that each one of the Gundam pilots went through training before we were allowed to get inside the cockpit? Training that consisted of how to withstand drugs and torture? We were also trained on how to torture in case we ever needed to get information. Heero's training was a bit more intensive, and the guy that trained him also enhanced him with experimental drugs that made him stronger than a normal person. There was no way that I could have fought him, but I tried. I guarantee that I lasted a lot longer with him that you ever would have."

"You really think so? I bet I could have stood up to him."

"Why don't we go outside and you take off that badge and we'll see how long you can stand up to me, you sorry son of a bitch."

"Richard, why don't you go outside and find some coffee before I let this young man prove to you that he can do what he says, bullet wound or not."

The younger cop looked at the older one in disbelief, then crossed the room, deliberately bumping into Duo on the way out. Duo sat back on the bed, shaking his head. "His name is Richard? I figured he was a dick, but his parents didn't need to name him that."

The remaining policeman chuckled, "He's a rookie and thinks that the only way to get information is by intimidating someone. One day, he'll find out that's not the best way. In the meantime, though, I would appreciate it if you didn't hurt him, or I'll have to explain it to the captain. I'm Harper, by the way. Harper Cook." With a shrug of his shoulders, he shifted in the chair. "You don't like hospitals much, do you, Mr. Maxwell?"

"You can't control what's done to you in a place like this. I don't like being somewhere where I don't know the people. They can give you anything and say it's medicine when it's really not. I don't trust them."

"Can't blame you for that, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. Your friends have been supervising every aspect of your care, and I don't think any of the staff is brave enough to argue with Mr. Barton on what you should or should not have. He can be very formidable when he feels strongly about something."

"I guess he feels strongly about my care," Duo replied carefully, not sure what the cop was getting at.

"I think he feels strongly about you in general, Mr. Maxwell. That's a rare thing to find these days, no matter what form it takes. I think we should be able to get you out of here today, if the doctor agrees. If you get Mr. Barton to speak to the doctor I have no doubts that you'll get to go home today."

At the idea of going home with Trowa, Duo smiled. He had to agree with Harper that finding someone that cared about you the way Trowa cared about him was rare, and he had already decided he had no intentions of letting that go. After a moment his smile faded, "Is there any way that we can see Heero?"

"From what I understand, it's going to be several days before anyone can see Mr. Yuy. Right now he's too unstable. I haven't even been able to speak to him yet, and from what his doctor says, I might never be able to. You can check with his doctor to be sure, but I wouldn't count on it." Harper stood slowly, rolling his shoulders as if a great weight had settled on them. "The best thing now is for you to get better. It's going to be difficult to see your friend in that condition, and you should be stronger before you do, okay? That's just a piece of advice from an old cop," he added as he walked to the door and left without saying goodbye.

Within minutes, during which Duo tried to regain the strength he had expended when confronting the disrespectful policeman, Trowa entered the room carrying a bag that he set down on the chair. Looking past the smile that Trowa gave him, Duo saw the strain and utter exhaustion in the green eyes as Trowa came to stand beside the bed. He expected the other man to reach for his hand, as he had been doing for months, and was somewhat stunned when Trowa abruptly turned away from the bed, moving across the room to stare out the window.

The tall body was being held stiff and Duo could see the slight trembling in Trowa's arms, but had no idea what the cause was. Until that moment he hadn't realized how much he had needed the comfort he received from Trowa, now that it was being withheld he felt lost and much more worried than he had been before. Leaving the hospital was now far down on his list of things to be concerned about. "Trowa?" he asked, pushing himself from the bed again and swaying on his feet.

"As soon as you're ready we can go home," Trowa said, not turning to face Duo and making more concerned.

"Can you talk to me first?"

"What do you want me to say that I haven't already said?" Trowa finally turned, letting Duo see the exhaustion without any attempt to cover it up. "You put yourself in danger when I told you that I didn't expect any kind of payment for you. How the hell do you think that made me feel, Duo? You were shot because you didn't want any of us getting. You shouldn't have been in danger in the first place."

"Did you tell Heero to kidnap me?" Duo gripped the edge of the bed, hoping he could make Trowa understand. "I don't think so. You've done everything possible to keep me safe, but you can't control every aspect of my life. Would you be happy if I stopped working and never left the house again, because I can tell you that'll never happen."

"I want you to feel safe, damnit!"

Stunned at the outburst, Duo stared for several seconds before taking shuffling steps to close the space between himself and Trowa. As if realizing how weak and tired Duo was, Trowa leaned down and swept him up, then sat in a chair and settled Duo in his lap. As soon as they were seated, Duo took advantage of the situation and took Trowa's face in his hands, moving carefully because of his most recent wound. "Don't you see, Trowa? I feel safe whenever I'm with you. I feel safe knowing that you'll be there when I need you. When I go to sleep at night with your arms around me, I know I'm safe."

"You were hurt," Trowa stated, his voice dull.

"By my own choice. I couldn't let you get hurt."

Duo waited, watching the dawning comprehension in Trowa's eyes. He had to smile when green eyes met his, hopeful yet wary. "Why couldn't you let me get hurt, Duo?"

"Because I need you there for me at night, and in the morning. When I get off work in the evening and when I sit down to dinner I want to be able to see you and talk to you. Because I need you, Trowa, and I hope that you'll be there for a very long time. I love you; it just took me a long time to figure it out." Duo frowned, "Actually, I figured it out a while earlier, but I wanted to face Heero before I talked to you. I needed to make sure that there were no feelings left for him inside me."

"And are there?"

"Pity, sadness, confusion, but no love. If there ever was any love for Heero, it was lost before he ever hit me the last time."

Duo was stunned when tears filled Trowa's eyes, gentle hands framing his face, "Tell me again?"

"I love you, and it requires no payment, but I really hope that you still fill the same way. I didn't make you wait too long, did I?"

"I would have waited for the rest of my life just to hear you say that to me once. I'm very glad that I didn't have to, though," Trowa smiled, kissing him so softly that it was almost a whisper of a touch.

Duo's body strained, wanting more contact yet knowing that this was not the time or the place to bring up what he yearned for. Letting himself rest against the other man's chest, he spoke quietly, "Can we go home now?"


	10. Chapter 10

This is the last part. Honestly, I could have kept going, but thought it best to stop before it got too long. If you enjoyed reading this, let me know! DA

See first part for warnings.

Standing outside the locked room, Trowa peered in the small window at the man inside. Heero was huddled in the corner of the room, his blue eyes wide and unblinking as he stared at nothing. "Do they have any idea what caused this?"

"Heero's physiology is so different than a normal person's that it's causing a lot of problems. He might have suspected that he was losing it but couldn't admit it. Relena found a journal with the rest his things that he had kept since right after the war. She turned it over to Heero's doctor. It said that even during the battles he felt the need to compete growing inside him. He had to be better than everyone at everything and without fighting to prove himself, he focused on the first available thing. Me." Duo's face was tormented as he stood beside Trowa, looking in at his former lover.

"Do they have any idea what caused the final break?" Trowa asked, not bringing up how badly he felt discussing this when it obviously caused Duo pain.

"I think it was you, in a roundabout way. He said that he saw you looking at me, before I moved in with him. Apparently in his mind, if he had me then he had won over you."

"He didn't win at all, did he?" Trowa asked sadly, gently touching Duo's hair. It was the first time since Duo had been released from the hospital that he had let himself touch the braided man.

The breath he hadn't been aware of holding hissed out when Duo closed the space between them, wrapping an arm around his waist and leaning into him. "He lost, but we all did. He might never come back. I feel so guilty because I said some things that probably shoved him over the edge for good."

Trowa disagreed, "I think when he picked up a gun and decided to use it on something he loved was when he was pushed off the edge. He did love you, he just couldn't fight the psychosis that held him enough to show you the right way."

"I think I prefer to think of that," Duo commented softly, tears streaming down his face. "I hate seeing him this way."

"Me, too. I want to be mad at him for everything he did, but I just can't. Seeing him this way just makes me feel pity for him, and anger for what was done to him by Dr. J. Maybe they'll find a cure for him one day," Trowa offered, hating the panic that clenched his chest at the thought of losing Duo all over again.

Shaking his head, Duo pulled him away from the room where their friend sat, lost in his own broken mind. They remained quiet on the way home, their joined hands resting on Trowa's thigh as he drove. He was still fighting the need to cling to Duo and extract a promise from him, the vow not to put any pressure on Duo the only thing that kept him from doing exactly that.

Inside the house he was unsure of what he should do. Thinking that Duo might need some time alone after seeing Heero he headed for the kitchen, a room that had somehow become the most comfortable room in the house, other than the bedroom he shared with Duo at night. With the intention of making something to eat he turned around, only to almost run over Duo, who was standing right behind him, smiling as if amused at something. "Sit down, Trowa. You're making me edgy."

To make his point, Duo pointed at one of the chairs, raising an eyebrow and waiting until Trowa had sat before moving to the fridge and getting some drinks for both of them. Trowa took the soda without comment, waiting for Duo to say whatever was on his mind.

"It matters to me if they can help Heero," Duo began and Trowa closed his eyes, only to open them seconds later in shock, "but I'll never go back to him. It'd be nice to have Heero back to normal, but I couldn't make myself feel for him what I did once. I'd always be afraid that he would start hitting me. Besides, why would I leave a great life with you and return to something that could break me all over again?"

Not willing to hope, Trowa was cautious, "Tell me exactly what you want, Duo. I really need to know."

"I plan to stay here, with you, for as long as you'll let me." Duo smiled, moving around the kitchen so they were close, "I love you, Trowa. I already told you once, but I'm not sure you believed me."

Overcome with emotion, Trowa took Duo's face in both hands. "I wanted to give you some time so you could make sure," he admitted. The long-haired man could have decided that he was wrong, that the feelings he had were merely from gratitude. That Duo was telling him again, after he had healed from the gunshot wound that put him in the hospital and after seeing Heero meant more than he could ever express with words. Carefully, he touched his lips to Duo's, smiling at the long sigh from the other man.

The fleeting touch after weeks of almost no contact suddenly wasn't enough. Bringing Duo's mouth back to his, he pried Duo's lips open with his tongue and delved inside the warm cavern, needing the taste so much that it hurt. The sound of the ragged moan that came from his own throat had him pulling back, berating himself.

Finding Duo perched in his lap was almost too much to handle, and he buried his face in Duo's neck as he pulled in his raging emotions. Just because Duo had decided that he wanted to stay didn't mean that he was ready to take the next step, no matter how badly Trowa wanted him. "Sorry. I'm just…sorry. No pressure, Duo." Even as the words came out of his mouth he was swiping his tongue along the muscle in the other man's neck. Realizing what he was doing, he jerked back in the chair. "Maybe you need to get up."

"I don't want to wait any more, Trowa. I've been waiting for weeks for you to give me what you gave me a taste of my first night here. I can't wait anymore."

Heady with excitement, Trowa lifted Duo from his lap and began the short trek to the bedroom, wanting their first time to be where they had already spent so many nights together. "No more waiting, Duo. Not for us. Now we begin the rest of our lives."


End file.
